MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR CONVERTING BIOMASS TO BIOFUEL
This disclosure provides for materials and methods for converting biomass to biofuels. The materials include a colloid mill with or without cellulase enzymes, and the methods include the use of a colloid mill and optionally cellulose enzymes to pretreat biomass for use in a biomass to biofuel production process.
1 . A method of generating sugar from biomass, the method comprising,
a) providing a biomass/water mixture, where in the biomass comprises starch, sugar, and/or cellulose components;
b) pretreating the biomass/water mixture with a high shear/milling mixing device comprising a rotor and a stator, wherein the high shear/milling mixing device has a gap setting between the rotor and stator of between 0.104 and 0.728 millimeters, thereby reducing the size of biomass particles in the biomass/water mixture and rendering a greater percentage of the biomass available compared to pretreatment of the biomass with a hammer mill alone; and
c) contacting the biomass/water mixture with enzymes, thereby converting components of the biomass to sugar.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzymes are selected from a gluconase, a cellulase, a beta-glucosidase, a xylanase, a ligninase, a peroxidase, a magnesium peroxidase, an endoglucanase and a mixture thereof.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzymes are selected from an alpha amylase and a beta amylase.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising fermenting the sugars, thereby producing alcohol.
5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising separating particles from the biomass / water mixture after the contacting.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high shear/milling mixing device is a colloid mill.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the gap between the rotor and stator is adjustable.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the gap setting can be dynamically adjusted.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the biomass is grain and the mixture comprises at least 40% bone dry solids (BDS).
10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the biomass is cellulosic biomass and the mixture comprises at least 15% bone dry solids (BDS).
11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the mixture comprises 21-46% bone dry solids (BDS).
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the biomass is grain, comprising corn or corn and cellulose mixtures.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the pretreating of the biomass improves the separation of corn oil from spent distillation liquid.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gap setting is 0.2-0.3 mm and the biomass comprises grains.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the biomass comprises hammer milled corn kernels.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more enzyme comprises an alpha amylase.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more enzyme comprises a cellulase.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzymes are contacted to the biomass before the pretreating of the biomass/water mixture with a high shear/milling mixing device.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the enzymes comprise an alpha amylase.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the enzymes comprise a cellulase.
21 . The method of claim 18 , after the pretreating of the biomass/water mixture with a high shear/milling mixing device, further comprising contacting the biomass with one or more additional enzyme.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said enzymes comprise alpha amylase and said one or more additional enzyme comprises a cellulase and/or gluco-amylase.
23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzymes are contacted to the biomass after the pretreating of the biomass/water mixture with a high shear/milling mixing device.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the enzymes comprise a cellulase.
25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the enzymes comprise a gluconase.
26 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzymes include a cellulase and the cellulase is incubated with the pre-treated biomass at a temperature of about 30° C. to about 55° C. for about 24 hours to about 72 hours.